Flat Earth Democrats attack jobs and development

I had this given to me by an independent voter who had received this postcard in the mail yesterday. And, it shows the battle lines which Democrats in South Dakota are choosing to draw. Unfortunately, these are battle lines where they demand stagnation. Which frankly, leaves me scratching my head.

If you click on this postcard, you can read that it’s an attack postcard directed at Republicans who supported 2011 House Bill 1230, the large project development fund. Since most all Republicans voted for it, and most all Democrats voted against it, it has become the local Democrat’s soapbox of choice, where they say money was taken from Education…. at the same they support a bill which will raise the sales tax by 25% for “education”.

At the end of the day, I’d just call all of that a bunch of political nonsense. Because we need to be very concerned about the future.

The human condition is about progression towards something better. It is about achievement, and creation, and growth, and about building “something” out of ideas. If we all remained on the side of the Democrats who are howling about the use of incentives for development, we would likely still believe the earth is flat, and that our flat planet revolves around Obama.

These “Flat Earth” Democrats are demonizing a program which brings jobs and investment to our State. That’s not progress. That’s stagnation, as bad as any fetid pond in a ditch. I’m against stagnation. I’m for the future, and for new and better jobs, and for investment in communities. That’s what this measure will bring. This is what they’re opposing.

You might ask, “What kind of jobs and investment are state Democrats opposing?” Here’s a recent press release from one of them:

The Company will invest approximately $100 million to build its new manufacturing plant on a 48-acre land parcel along 32nd Avenue near the I-29 corridor. Plant construction is planned in two phases. The Company will break ground on the first phase this summer. Bel Brands expects to hire around 200 employees when the first phase of the plant becomes fully operational by 2014. Phase 1 of the project will have a production capacity of approximately 22 million pounds or 10,000 metric tons. The second phase of the plant, which is contingent on anticipated increased market demands, is envisioned to be built in 2016-2017 and will bring another 200 jobs to the area.

“I am thrilled to welcome Bel Brands to South Dakota,” Gov. Dennis Daugaard said. “The impact of this project goes beyond the creation of up to 400 jobs. It goes beyond the estimated annual $500 million economic impact once the plant is fully operational. And it goes beyond the opportunity for our dairy operations to expand both capacity and market share,” the Governor said. “Having an internationally respected company like Bel Brands as our newest corporate citizen tells the world that South Dakota is open and ready for business from anywhere around the globe.”

Up to 400 Jobs – up to $500 million of economic impact from a company’s $100 million investment. The only way I would have liked this better is if it had built in our District. At the same time the “flat earth” Democrats complain about investment of this nature, you can rest assured that they’ll be first in line at the ribbon cutting. Because to them, it’s not about jobs and the future. It’s about politics. And we need to remind them of that in November.

I want development. I want new and better jobs, and I want to have every tool to make sure it happens here. Not in Minnesota or Nebraska. I want it here where it can help keep our children in our state, where it will help raise our wages, and expand our tax base, so we all can pay less.

So, next time you get one of these negative postcards, don’t believe it. Tear it up, or hang it on your refrigerator as a reminder of those who demonize jobs and investment. Because they are the enemies of the future. And we need to make sure they are not the ones charting the course towards tomorrow.

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3 comments

jim Bolin

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My only concern is that this large fund account is at its core anti-American.(see last sentence) Let me explain. This sounds like a public-private-partnership, with FRANCE no less (Bel is based out of France). I have worked for the “man” before and had a bit of resentment that my best efforts made him look good, which I accepted if my efforts were going to better my local community since the “man” reinvested in the locale. So now the best efforts of the 400 employees will go to better France. This is not like Iowa Beef Packers…a story about a rags-to-riches couple who have deep stakes in South Dakota and who never needed a Government partnership to establish them, we are talking about a French company edging out any local entity that would be in competition with them. And its not only France, have you seen the articles where China is now invited by the Governor to compete against our local farmers?
The Democrats are unfair in their assessment that the Large project fund is one legislators fault. But it should only be used for big-project utilities that benefit the entire state, not France or China.
By the way, the definition of Fascism can be summed up in this quote, “Fascism should rightly be called Corporatism, as it is the merger of corporate and government power” – Benito Mussolini